"Can I speak to Sam Strachan, please?" Charlie held the phone to his ear as his wife sat across the desk from him, nodding encouragingly at him. They'd given Connie time to phone Sam herself, but it had been several weeks now since her near brush with death and she still had not picked up the phone. He smiled at his wife before turning his attention back to the receiver, "It's Charlie Fairhead calling from Holby ED. Can you tell him it's important he calls me back? It is urgent… thank you. Goodbye." Charlie hung up the phone and sighed. "He's in theatre. She said she would get him to call me back when he came out. We're doing the right thing, aren't we?"

"He needs to know. Connie can deny it all she wants, but I can see she needs to see Grace. At times of trouble a mother needs to hold her children close." Duffy spoke knowingly, she knew if it was here in Connie's position she would want to hold on tight and never let go to her own children and grandchildren.

"I hope you're right." She smiled at his wife, kissing her gently before heading back out into the busy ED.

It was a few hours later that Noel came to tell him there was a call for him. Requesting it be put through to his office he made his way in, picking up the phone. "Good evening, Charlie Fairhead speaking."

"Charlie, it's Sam. My PA said you'd called, something about an emergency. Is everything okay?" Charlie could hear the concern in Sam's voice as he sat himself down at his desk.

"Sam, I'm so pleased you called back. I need to ask, have you heard from Connie recently?"

"No, but that isn't unusual. Connie and I don't see eye to eye. She gets in touch with Grace though. Although, there hasn't been a lot of communication between them since Connie left the voicemail at Christmas saying she couldn't make Aspen. Grace was devastated Connie had put work before her again." The tone of Sam's voice was sharper now. "And if I'm honest I'm livid with her for doing it too."

"She hasn't told you then?"

"Told me what, Charlie?" Charlie sighed as he looked down at the notes on his desk.

"Sam, there is no easy way to tell you this. Connie has cancer." The line fell silent as Charlie continued, "The reason she couldn't make Christmas is because she collapsed in the ED. She spent Christmas and New Year in hospital."

"Cancer… she hasn't said anything. How advanced is it?" Sam's mind was spinning as he tried to comprehend everything the nurse was telling him.

"It wasn't looking good, but she has had surgery, they got all the tumour but she's undergoing a gruelling regime of chemotherapy now. Sam, she keeps denying it but she needs to see Grace. I've caught her on more than one occasion crying whilst listening to Grace's voice."

Sam nodded, before realising there was three and a half thousand miles between himself and the man he was talking to. "Grace is what got me through my chemotherapy. I'll make the arrangements to fly over with her before the week is out."

"I think she'd like that… but Sam, she doesn't know I was calling..."

"Don't worry Charlie, I won't let on it was you who called."

"I appreciate that, bye Sam. See you soon." As the nurse hung up he sighed. Hoping he had done the right thing.

-x-

It had taken Sam less than 24 hours to make arrangements to fly himself and his daughter back to England. He had arranged for them to stay at a hotel near Connie's home and told his daughter he needed to attend a seminar which was their reason for returning so suddenly. Once they had landed at Heathrow he took out his phone, opening the messaging app he typed quickly before changing his mind and deleting it. Deciding to keep the element of surprise so she couldn't turn them away.

"I'm not sure I want to see." Came the stubborn voice of his daughter as they made their way to the hire car. "She couldn't be bothered to fly to Aspen for Christmas because her beloved work was far too important."

Sam sighed, Grace had been like this ever since he told her that they were going to see her mother. "Grace, trust me on this, we need to go and see her okay?"

"Fine." Grace huffed as she threw her case into the boot, taking a seat in the front of the car. "But it doesn't mean I have to play nice." The attitude of his daughter reminded him so much of Connie, when she glared at him he sometimes had to double take as the young girl was becoming a doppelganger for her mother.

"Yes, you do, she is your mum and she loves you very much. Even if she has a funny way of showing it."

"Whatever!" Grace mumbled as she plugged herself into her iPod, drowning out her father's words.

The sun was beginning to set in the sky by the time they pulled up outside Connie's house. He was reassured to see lights on inside indicating she was at home. "Wait here okay, I'll go and check she is in." Grace just nodded in response, her attention hardly leaving her phone as she texted her friends. Sam walked up the driveway slowly, building himself up to knocking on the door. He didn't quite know what to expect. The Connie Beauchamp he knew would always be immaculately turned out, she was the epitome of elegance. Yet he knew the effects cancer had on the human body.

Giving the door a firm knock he waited expectantly for the door to be opened. He could make out a silhouette through the door getting closer to it. Hearing the latch click and watching the door slowly open as he stepped back slightly, his eyes cast down. As his eyes began to move upwards he took in her appearance. First, he saw a pair of fluffy slippers, a pair of loose fitting pyjama bottoms hidden mostly from view by the thick beige dressing gown which was wrapped around her shrinking frame, finally his eyes came to rest of her face. The pallor of her skin and sunken eyes shocking him, not that he gave anything away with his expression, taking a breath words left his lips.

"Hello Connie."